In addition to 26 pilot KNCĐ groups with 156 members, 13 provinces participating in the project have established 1,071 additional KNCĐ groups, with a total of 9,622 members.

In particular, according to the National Agricultural Extension Center, implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction for the 2021-2025 period, 44 more provinces and cities nationwide have established KNCĐ groups with a total of about 4,070 groups, with 37,394 members operating to serve agricultural development and new rural construction in localities.

Connecting sustainable and effective production chains

As one of the two provincial-level KNCĐ groups in Kon Tum, for the past 2 years, the KNCĐ group in Ha Mon commune (Dak Ha district) has become a familiar and trusted address for coffee farmers in the area. Mr. Doi Van Cuong - Head of the KNCĐ group in Ha Mon commune said that the group currently has 6 members, including provincial agricultural extension officers, district agricultural extension officers, farming households and directors of cooperatives in the coffee production area of ​​Dak Ha district.

The greatest success of the group is connecting with Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company to deploy smart coffee planting in Dak Ha and Dak To districts; supporting Vinh Hiep Company Limited to expand nearly 600 hectares of 4C-standard coffee for 460 households in 2023 and continuing to support expansion in 2024. In addition, Vinh Hiep Company Limited was also supported by the Group to sign a cooperation agreement in the production and consumption of 4C coffee with 840 farming households in Kon Tum.

Previously, the Ha Mon Commune KNCĐ Team organized 22 training courses for 840 farmer households to participate, with the main training content being to guide people in cultivating coffee according to 4C standards, training on the linkage chain and product consumption in the province.

Mr. Pham Van Thu (in Binh Minh village, Ha Mon commune) said that his family has 1.5 hectares of coffee plantations receiving support from the KNCĐ Group. From 2024 to now, he has received more than 2 tons of Binh Dien fertilizer, and has been instructed by the group members on care techniques, sprouting, and branching to help the trees grow well.

"Although I have been making coffee for a long time, there are new knowledge and new processes that engineers share and advise me. Coffee gardens that follow the instructions will be very good. Last year I harvested 20 tons of fresh coffee from 1.5 hectares. This year, with the close support of the KNCĐ Team and fertilizers, this crop will definitely yield outstanding results," Mr. Thu happily said.

Similarly, the KNCĐ group models in Dong Thap province are also expected to bring a "new breeze" to agricultural extension activities in the locality. In addition to the two pilot KNCĐ groups, the province has established 115 expanded KNCĐ groups, with a total of 1,358 members, contributing to building an effective and sustainable agriculture.

The flexibility and closeness of the KNCĐ group has helped farmers access scientific and technical advances more easily, thereby applying them to production, helping to increase crop and livestock productivity. Currently growing 1.8 hectares of rice, old farmer Le Van Minh (in My Hiep commune, Cao Lanh district) said that since the KNCĐ group was established, local farmers have learned how to grow rice according to the process of "3 reductions, 3 increases", "1 must, 5 reductions", which not only reduces costs but also helps the rice plants become healthier, and significantly increases productivity.

Bridge between farmers and businesses

According to the assessment of the National Agricultural Extension Center, during the implementation of the project, the agricultural extension system, especially the KNCĐ force, has identified its core role, which is to accompany farmers, help farmers reorganize production, provide training to improve capacity and be a bridge between farmers and businesses.

The results show that the KNCĐ groups in the project area have coordinated with units, enterprises, and cooperatives to organize over 100 training courses on developing raw material areas. They have guided people to implement 14 agricultural extension projects with 500 hectares of rice raw material areas, 300 hectares of fruit tree raw material areas, 150 hectares of coffee raw material areas, and 200 hectares of large wood raw material areas.

The members of the KNCĐ group also act as a bridge to help people in the fruit growing area in the Northern mountainous region connect to consume 5 tons of pineapple, 100 tons of passion fruit; help 257 households in the fruit growing area of ​​Dong Thap Muoi consume products on an area of ​​120 hectares of durian; help people in the Central Highlands consume 4C and organic coffee products. Organize 46 product consumption linkages for 2,126 farmers in the rice growing area; support production linkages and product consumption for people in the large timber growing area on an area of ​​300 hectares...

Talking about the role of agricultural extension staff in general and KNCĐ in particular; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan once emphasized: "Where there are farmers, there is agricultural extension" is not a slogan but an action, an obligation, a mission. This is the time for the agricultural extension staff to demonstrate their role as friends of farmers, with farmers, for farmers. The new revolution takes place in the fields, but success will only come when and only when the capacity of farmers is raised. This is the task of the whole system, in which agricultural extension and KNCĐ have a particularly important role and position".